Thailand’s Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendira Debyavati, widely known as Princess Pa, has died at the age of 47 after spending nearly four years in a coma, the royal palace announced Friday.
The princess, the eldest child of King Maha Vajiralongkorn and one of the most prominent members of Thailand’s royal family, died Thursday at a Bangkok hospital after remaining unconscious since collapsing in December 2022.
“This loss is not merely bad news announced to the people, but an immeasurable grief in the hearts of the entire nation,” Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said in a televised address.
Princess Pa lost consciousness while training dogs for a competition in northeastern Thailand. She was airlifted to Bangkok for emergency treatment and remained hospitalized for nearly four years before her death.
According to the royal palace, she suffered a severe heart arrhythmia caused by inflammation following a mycoplasma infection.
Her condition was later complicated by an intra-abdominal infection, colitis, low blood pressure, blood-clotting disorders and ongoing cardiac complications.
Doctors reportedly grew increasingly concerned earlier this year as her condition continued to deteriorate.
Following news of her death, mourners gathered outside Bangkok’s Grand Palace and at Chulalongkorn Hospital, paying tribute with flowers, photographs and prayers.
Born on Dec. 7, 1978, Princess Pa was the daughter of then-Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn and Princess Soamsawali.
She built an impressive academic and professional career, earning degrees in law from Thailand’s Thammasat University before obtaining both a master’s degree and doctorate from Cornell Law School.
After graduating, she served at Thailand’s mission to the United Nations in New York before returning home to work as a public prosecutor.
She later represented Thailand as ambassador to Austria and also served as ambassador to Slovenia and Slovakia.
Throughout her public life, Princess Pa became known for her work on criminal justice reform and improving conditions for incarcerated women. She founded programs focused on helping female inmates and pregnant prisoners and was appointed a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in 2017.
In 2021, she transitioned into military service, receiving the rank of general and becoming chief of staff within Thailand’s Royal Security Command.
Her death is expected to renew questions about succession within the Thai monarchy.
Princess Pa was one of only a handful of King Vajiralongkorn’s children with full royal status and constitutional eligibility to succeed him. While no official heir has been formally designated, Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti is widely viewed as the presumptive successor.
The royal palace said funeral ceremonies will begin in the coming days, and the Thai government is expected to declare a period of national mourning.
Her passing comes less than a year after the death of Thailand’s Queen Mother, who died in October at the age of 93.
The post Thai Princess Bajrakitiyabha Dies At 47 After Nearly Four Years In Coma appeared first on Real News Now.
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